Chris Urmson, founder and CEO of Aurora, shares his expertise on autonomous trucking technology, revealing how it's set to redefine the industry amid a driver shortage. The conversation also dives into the challenges of driverless trucks, including health risks and public skepticism, while emphasizing their potential economic benefits. Additionally, the hosts discuss Kamala Harris's media strategy, Elon Musk's viral moment at a rally, and the increasing competition Google faces from emerging platforms like TikTok and Amazon.

To complete an audacious journey, you need to set short, achievable goals — or waypoints — to avoid getting wildly lost. But waypoints also need to be flexible because when you're knocked off track, you need to be able to realign your waypoints to get back on course. Aurora's Chris Urmson shares how he keeps returning to short, flexible waypoints on his daunting journey to make autonomous vehicles part of our everyday lives.Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.comSubscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chris Urmson is one of the founding fathers of the autonomous vehicle industry. He participated in three DARPA self-driving vehicle challenges before joining the team that launched Google’s self-driving car project, which later became Waymo. Eventually though, Chris saw an opportunity to scratch an entrepreneurial itch and bring his expertise to an industry that was ripe for it: trucking.This week on How I Built This Lab, Chris talks about launching and scaling Aurora, a company that is developing autonomous systems to safely drive semitrucks on America’s freeways. Plus, Chris and Guy discuss the impact that this technology could have on the U.S. economy, as well as the millions of truck drivers working in the industry today. This episode was produced by Chis Maccini and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Katherine Silva. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chris Urmson, CEO and co-founder of Aurora Innovation, discusses his journey from the DARPA Grand Challenge to leading Google’s self-driving project. He highlights the potential of autonomous technology in trucking, detailing how advancements like LiDAR are revolutionizing freight transport. Chris addresses the challenges of mimicking human behavior in driving and the importance of building trust through transparent regulation. He envisions a future where autonomous vehicles significantly impact both the trucking industry and personal transportation.

Thomas Black, Bloomberg's expert in autonomous trucks, and Chris Urmson, CEO of Aurora, discuss the progress and safety concerns of developing autonomous trucks in Texas. They highlight the need to gain public trust, the programming and safety measures behind self-driving trucks, and the challenges faced by autonomous truck companies in going driverless. They also discuss the milestones in developing autonomous vehicles and people's transition from skepticism to acceptance of autonomous trucks.